View full sizeRoberto Acosta | MLive.comFlushing Township officials are discussing the possibility of using former Police Chief Dale Stevenson as an expert witness in two lawsuits by former police officers.

Township board members recently discussed the option of using Stevenson as a witness at his previous pay rate of $30 an hour.

Stevenson, whose contract expired in March, left the police department after township officials had discussed a possible
three-month contract extension while the township switched police service to the Genesee County
Sheriff’s Department.

Stevenson, who previously served 25 years with the Michigan State Police and six years with the Caro Police Department, has been named in one of two lawsuits following his tenure with the department. Former officers Mark Bolin, Louis Cook, Brian Farlin, James Hough and Andrew Owens filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court against Stevenson, Supervisor Terry Peck, Treasurer Bill Noecker and trustees Mark Purkey, Scott Minaudo and Michael Gardner.

The officers claim in the suit that their First Amendment rights were violated and their character defamed by Stevenson, Peck and the board members. They are seeking more than $75,000.

The suit claims after board members voted to disband the police department, Peck told Montrose Township officials that officers pulled guns on each other, and that he placed officers on immediate administrative leave because, “he feared for the safety of his family and himself due to potential retaliatory acts by the officers.”

A second lawsuit, by former police Sgt. Brian Fairchild against Flushing Township Supervisor Terry Peck, trustees Scott Minaudo and Mark Purkey, claims Fairchild was let go because of his involvement in a recall attempt against board Trustee Michael Gardner and treasurer Bill Noecker – also named as defendants. He is seeking more than $100,000 in damages.

Peck said the township is exploring the idea of potential counter-lawsuits to collect money in legal fees that ate up more than $11,500 in funding from May through July alone.

Board members questioned what the potential trigger for a frivolous lawsuit may be, to which township Attorney Steve Moulton said, “Your procedure on that would have to be on a case-by-case basis” and the idea needs to be further explored.

“We’re spending thousands of dollars in legal fees we could be spending on township business,” he said, calling the current lawsuits frivolous in nature.

Peck told board members the defense against the current lawsuits is in the best interest of the defendants.

“To protect ourselves and the township, we’re going forward with that (defense),” he said.